Chiang Mai University held its 12th CMU Book Fair over
the November 24-December 2 period, with more than 60 booths set up by
publishing companies and book stores in the main CMU library.

A highlight was the “Before being a writer” talk
given by Dr Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunant, president of the Forensic
Science Institute, Ministry of Justice, and Wutthichat Chumsanit, who writes
under the pen name Binlah Sankalakhiri, SEA Write award winner for 2005.
Both speakers offered advice to students who are interested in a writing
career.

The book fair provided many activities to encourage the
reading and writing habit among students and other visitors. “Writer meet
readers” talk shows were held everyday throughout the week and traditional
folk songs and music were performed on some days to entertain.

Amongst the 60 booths were well known names such as McGraw-Hill, KU Book
Center, Amarin Book Center, and Far East Book Company. Apart from books,
there were attractions including a talking dictionary, stamps, silverware,
traditional Northern-styled clothes, and decorative plants. Discounts were
available on many books and items.

The International Credit Union of Thailand will hold an
awareness day in Chiang Mai on December 11, bringing thousands of credit
union personnel from around the country into the province as a symbol of
solidarity as Chiang Mai strives to recover from the recent flooding.

Suphachai said the awareness day is being held in Chiang
Mai as a way of promoting tourism in the province and other parts of the
North. It was, he said, important to help the province get over the four
floods that have caused so much damage and hardship recently, and one way of
doing this was by bringing large events into Chiang Mai.

He added that predictions are for 8,000 credit union
personnel from all over the country to attend. Another 200 guests from
abroad have been invited, such as the presidents of the Credit Union League
of the USA, Korea, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Amongst the events on the day are a seminar conducted by
Bobby McVeigh, president of the World Credit Union, and a fund-raiser will
be held to help build a home for under-privileged children in Chiang Rai.
Aid packages will be presented to elders in Mae Taeng and Muang, Chiang Mai,
products will be displayed by the Women’s Cooperative Product Development
Center, and there will be performances by students of Chiang Mai Dramatic
Arts College.

There will be a visit to Mae Hong Song, Chiang Rai,
Chiang Mai, Lampang and Lamphun, and a ceremony to transfer the CU flag to
Phuket, venue for the next gathering.

The International Credit Union 2005 awareness day will be held on
December 11 from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm and will be presided over by Sudarat
Keyuraphan, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Dentists undergo training for treatment of elderly

The tooth fairy comes to CMU

Chiangmai Mail Reporter

Dentists underwent special training in the techniques of
making artificial teeth at the Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University,
under a Royal Projects granted program. The training took place on November
21-22 and will be held again on 28-29 in Mae Hong Song.

Established by the Ministry of Public Health, the
training is for dentists working at hospitals under the Ministries of Public
Health, Interior and Defense, the Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer
Foundation, universities and the private sector. These organizations have
programs to treat the dentition of elderly patients, with 80,000 persons due
to have false teeth. The program began in October last year.

The CMU Faculty of Dentistry will make false teeth for
400 elders during 2006 and is responsible for training dentists in the eight
far Northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Nan, Chiang Rai, Phayao,
Lampang, Phrae and Mae Hong Son.

The first intake of Chiang Mai and Lamphun dentists was
trained on October 27-28 and November 3-4. October 31-November 1 and
November 7-8 saw Chiang Rai and Phayao dentists undergo training. November
10-11 and 17-18 saw training in Lampang, with Lampang and Phrae dentists.
Mae Hong Son’s sessions were on November 21-22 and 28-29.

A foundation for promoting Buddhism throughout the Mekong
region got off to ceremonial start on November 25, only one year after the
idea was first mooted, with a ceremony that included both Buddhist rites and
ethnic tribal performances.

The opening ceremony was organized by the Foundation for
Study and Propagating Buddhism in the Mekong Region,

Chao Phra Khun Somdej Pra Maha Mang Khala Jarn, of the
Mahathera Association Committee, head of the monks in the North presided.

Ethnic
groups participated in the ceremony.

The foundation is a cooperation of Buddhist organizations
in the Mekong region, from Thailand, Burma, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The objective is for the study and propagation of Buddhism in the region,
and the support of activities that promote public unity and wellbeing.

The origins of the foundation lie with the
Mahachula-longkorn Raja-vidyalaya University Chiang Mai, when a group of
Thai Buddhists traveled from the university to Chiang Tung, Burma, on a
pilgrimage during November 14 to 17, 2004.

On that trip, university administrators and monk
administrators from Chiang Tung had the idea of establishing a foundation.
Once the Thai monks had returned they asked for permission to go ahead, and
the foundation was established with donations from temples, citizens and
various organizations. Funds also came from ethnic groups including Tai Lue,
Tai, Tai Yong, and Tai Kheun.

Besides the opening ceremony, there was an ethnic group
culture stage in which each group displayed an aspect of its local culture,
such as traditional dance.

Those interested in helping support the foundation can transfer funds to
the foundation’s account number: 521-0-06645-2, Krung Thai Bank, Suthep
branch.

Celebrating Saint Martin

Dominique Leutwiler

The lantern walk for this years celebration of Saint
Martin was planned for the youngest students of the Christian German School
Chiang Mai (CDSC) to take place at Baan Wangtan. However, due to some heavy
downpours on that evening, the venue was moved to the CDSC, where at least
the buffet was protected from the rain.

CDSC principal Matthias Wolf was pleased with the high
flexibility that the parents showed in changing the event on a very short
notice. The delicious buffet was prepared from the parents and the evening
was well attended with 40 children from Kindergarten to Grade two, as well
as several siblings, families and friends.

The theme song “Carry the light into the world” was through the
program, which included four scenes performed from elder students. Those
short plays showed several situations from daily life such as in the first
scene: children helping each other accompanied by the song’s message
“carry a light to the children”; or the second scene showing a busy
mother caring for little children, with elder siblings wanting to talk to
her and the telephone ringing, at the same time she’s cooking dinner –
accompanied by the message of the song “carry a light to the parents”;
or a scene of a teenager in need for help with the song’s line “carry a
light to your friends”; and at the end a scene from Saint Martin giving a
beggar his cloak with the song’s final message “carry a light to the
poor”.

“Artist in Residence” - Dutch painter Leo Musch

Tara Colen

Leo
Musch teaching students to think out of the box when they paint.

Dutch painter Leo Musch spent last week as an “Artist
in Residence” at Prem Tinsulanonda International School. He, alongside his
wife Dineka, instructed Grade 11 and 12 art students to think out of box
when they create art.

Leo is a multifaceted artist whose work includes canvas,
pencil drawing, and a unique interpretation of ordinary paintings. He paints
the work on both sides of a transparent, high quality plastic. To preserve
the painting, he uses LEDs as an electric dimmer because a LED does not get
as warm as a light bulb. By using this unique method of painting, the
artwork changes completely to three dimensional. Leo commented, “You see
slowly moving images- ‘tableau vivant’ in French. This transforms the
atmosphere and significance of the painting.”

Leo holds workshops all over the world including Bangkok,
Phuket, France, and the Netherlands. Dineka organizes the logistics of the
workshop and Leo teaches. He has written seven books about art technique.
The latest, entitled Crossing Borders in Image and Space, was published in
1998.

At Prem, Leo encouraged 10-12th grade art students to
“cross borders” and be unconventional by experimenting with the various
ideas he had given them. He said, “You can learn technique easily, but
good, original ideas are harder to learn. It is very important for an artist
to be original.”

Art teacher Joanna Moon remarked, “In order for the Art
House to progress as a department at Prem, I felt that it was very important
to enrich our curriculum with visiting artists and designers who could
interact with students and give them a broader understanding of art beyond
Prem. Additionally, professionals in the field can offer real life
experiences of what it is like to live and work as an artist.”

Leo and Dineka Musch go next to Beijing, China where they will follow up
leads to hopefully have an exhibition there in the near future. To find out
more about artist Leo Musch or his workshops go to www.beauregard.demon.nl
or www.leomusch.com.